Friendships Fade
by Comicbookfan
Summary: Kazukiyo Souga: class representative of 1-A. His popularity-or lack thereof, his little luck with love, and his phobias have recently come to the attention of the Host Club. Being the giving people they are, he becomes of interest. That cannot be good.
1. Kitties With Pickaxes

**Fearful**

Summary: Kazukiyo Souga: class representative of 1-A. His popularity-or lack thereof, his little luck with love, and his phobias have recently come to the attention of the Host Club. Of course, at first they forget about him, but when he strangely continues running in to random members, they become more intrigued. That cannot be good.

***

About the character: I really love Kazukiyo...seriously, he's my favorite character, because I have a tendency to adore understated characters that have barely any fanfiction with them as a main character. I like his character a lot because he's sweet, shy, and afraid of...everything..., but really smart too. I find him a very interesting character.

* * *

It was free period and Kazukiyo Souga had just noticed something very...annoying.

It seemed that Kaoru Hitachiin had left one of his notebooks in the 1-A classroom. Somewhat paranoid about turning it into the office (the lady who worked there was nice enough, but the Principal could be around. And the Principal terrified him.) he seeked out the twin at the Host Club.

Opening the door, he entered, the faint scent of Sakura blossoms sickening him, to come face-to-face with several boys.

"Hello." One of them, a tall blond whom he recognized as Tamaki Suoh, said.

"Ah..hello. I would like to speak with Kaoru Hitachiin?" He vocalized politely.

"Why?" Tamaki seemed to be studying him.

"Because he left his notebook in class, and I felt it was my duty to return it." He blushed slightly as the boy kept passing his eyes over him, but kept a firm look on his face. "Would you please stop staring at me?"

Bursts of laughter came from behind Tamaki, and the blond frowned.

One of the twins came toward him (he was sure he was Kaoru) and took the notebook. "Thanks, Souga!"

Kazukiyo smiled serenely, and exited out the door as fast as he could. Hikaru came to stand by his brother, until they were in one of their usual positions: pressed together so one could barely see their right/left arms.

"Who was that?" Honey piped up from his post next to Mori.

Haruhi answered, indifferently. "That was Kazukiyo Souga. He's our class rep for 1-A."

"Oh...why'd he come, again?" Tamaki asked.

"_Because_ it's his duty..." Hikaru piped up.

"To help people." Kaoru finished, smirking.

Kyoyu looked to Haruhi, who said. "You guys have seen him before. In the 'test of courage'."

The others-not including the Hitachiin twins- looked blank, and she rolled her eyes.

Then sounds of girls giggling outside reached the boys' (and one girl's) ears, and they got ready to greet their customers.

But Haruhi could see Tamaki's mental gears turning ever since he had seen the young 1-A representative.

That could not be good.

* * *

Said representative had begun to head home. He always walked home for...one reason or another. Kicking along a rock, he headed to the (very) rich side of town. He thought of his brief encounter with the super-popular 'host club'. The only ones of the club he really knew were Haruhi, Kaoru, and Hikaru. But he wasn't that close to them. He didn't have many friends, after all.

A Butler opened the door to the mansion owned by his father and mother.

He personally found the mansion far too big for his tastes. After all, there was only a multitude of help in the place, and barely any people who actually lived there, other than him, his mother, and his father.

And both parents were out who-knows-where that day.

Heading up to his room, the boy finished his homework efficiently and debated if he should turn on the television.

He decided he would (what could be there that was so bad?) and was immediately greeted with the sight of a gigantuan ghost who was somehow solid enough to hold a axe hack a human to bits.

"Ihhh!!!" He shrieked, turning off the television and consequently slamming himself in the face with the remote control.

"Owww..." He groaned, putting his head in his hands and looking down at his comforter.

He didn't turn on the television again. He grabbed a book instead. At least scary parts weren't so..._visual._

At night, he turned on his small lamp, which cast a shadowy glow about the room when the actual lights turned off, and he went to sleep.

Or tried to.

Instead he tossed and turned in his bed, dreaming of ghost kitties with pickaxes and dead schoolboys brandishing notebooks like madmen.

In the middle of the night he rolled over, sighed, and headed to his bathroom, turning on the light before he entered, and grabbed some weak, cheap sleeping pills he bought himself, swallowing three, and went back to sleep.

There were no nightmares that time.

_End chapter 1_

_

* * *

_AN/ Hope you liked it. I'm not sure how many people exactly are going to be reading this, because it's about such a underused character (seriously people, write more Kazukiyo), but if you able to read it-review it. Please. I enjoy reviews, and this is my first 'Ouran' fic, and I would really like to see what you think of it. Constructive criticism is much appreciated.


	2. In Which our Hero is Psychotically Happy

**Friendships Fade**

AN/ Thank you so much! The response I got for last chapter was nothing like what I expected.

_**Thank you very much to my four reviewers. Everybody should take an example from them.**_

_**

* * *

**_Chapter 2:

Kazukiyo got up the next day early, as always.

Just to pretend to eat breakfast and to see his father off. As always, his father, who was a famous politician and half the reason Kazukiyo didn't go outside much except to walk to school, ruffled his hair (to his son's chagrin) and walked out the front door.

He wasn't sure where his mother was. He supposed she was still sleeping, because she always woke up late.

He headed to the kitchen where the cook had prepared his Lunch and Breakfast.

He was never hungry in the morning, though, so he slipped out of the house before the Chef could catch wind of his leaving.

Then he went to school and to class, whistling.

Well, _whistling_ was overstating it. He was in fact _trying to whistle_ and failing miserably.

He gave his class reports with a big smile on his face that wasn't all fake, and wondered why on Earth he was feeling so psychotically happy that day.

He was still happy when he headed back to his seat.

And fell flat on his face.

It was understandable that his happy mood went bye-bye after that.

He heard several girls gasp and some of the less than friendly boys snicker.

Reaching to his face and wiping some of the warm fluid off of it, then ended up staring in shock at what it was.

"B-B-B-Blood?"

He wasn't as afraid of blood as some other things, but he still really didn't like it. It made him feel a bit...sick.

The teacher said something about the Nurse and he nodded dreamily, before feeling his stomach lurch and tearing out of the room as quickly as he could.

When he got there he felt his stomach give another lurch and and he ran into one of the large stalls, retching into the porcelain toilet.

_Ew. Ow. Ew...owowowow...ugh..._

He hated vomiting, but he did it a lot.

And what sucked about that was that the vitamins his mother insisted he take in the mornings all came up, but then nothing else. So he just felt as though his lungs were bursting and his stomach was crawling up through his esophagus.

After he was done, he felt drained, which was obvious.

As he stopped at a large sink and looked at himself in the mirror, he blotted away and traces of blood carefully.

"Souga-kun?" A quiet voice said.

Kazukiyo swerved around, face-to-face with somebody who was almost too...delicate...to be a boy. Honestly, he didn't know how it was possible, but he almost suspected the other of somehow being a girl.

Silly idea...

"Haruhi-san!"

The other 'male' wrinkled her nose. "Is that vomit on your breath?"

"Ah...yeah..."

Kazukiyo went red, gulping down some water from a little cup on the edge of the sink and then rummaging around his pockets for a travel toothbrush and breath mints, after wards brushing his teeth calmly and popping one of the mints in his mouth. Then he looked at Haruhi, who looked impassive as always (he truly could not believe her clamness) except for a raised eyebrow.

He blushed again and moved the tube with the breath-mints toward her.

"Mint?"

"You carry around a travel sized toothbrush and toothpaste in your pockets?"

He pocketed said toothbrush/toothpaste in his pockets and closed the lid of the mints, pocketing those too.

"Well. This isn't an uncommon occurrence, Haruhi-san. Let's head back to class." He vocalized flippantly.

"..."

They went.

The rest of the day passed by without a glitch. Except right before free period, when, _again_, he noticed one of the twins had left a notebook in the classroom.

Still slightly afraid of the front Office and a little angry, he headed to the Host Club.

When he got there, it looked like he was going to barge in, but instead knocked on the door. He wasn't going to forget his manners just because he was ticked off.

"Come in."

It seemed that the boys (sans Hikaru, Haruhi, and Kaoru) were all there, and all surprised.

"Excuse? I take it Hikaru Hitachiin hasn't come here yet? Well, when he does, will you give him this." The black haired boy marched toward Tamaki, handing him the notebook. "And kindly tell both the siblings that they should stop leaving their notebooks in the room?"

Tamaki looked baffled. "Why don't you just turn it into the lost and found?"

"This is easier. It's still bothersome, though."

"The Front Office isn't a long way from here, it's just down that hallway..."

"I know where the stupid Office is! Is it such a crime to not want to cause trouble?! Just take the notebook!"

He stopped for a second, holding a rein to his emotions.

"Please, Suoh-senpai. I would be most gratified if you would do this, if only so I won't disrupt your fine club any more than I already have."

Tamaki looked somewhat freaked out at the change in emotions, but took the notebook.

"Thank you, Suoh-senpai. And my apologies for intruding, yet again."

Then, two voices came from behind him, along with a couple of clammy hands on his shoulders. One voice: "Aww, you brought back a notebook to us again? Thanks!" Then two. "_You shouldn't have!"_

"AUGHH!!!" Kazukiyo screamed, lurching forward as his knees buckled.

Breathing heavily and shaking slightly, he tried to get up, only to have his legs give out again.

He moaned in humiliation as everybody looked at him and the twins gave him pitying but slightly amused looks.

"Jerks." He murmured under his breath.

"Need some help?" The words were uttered by a tall and very intimidating boy.

_Takashi Morinozuka._ Kazukiyo recalled.

He grabbed onto the outstretched arm that was offered to him, stumbling a little, but then letting go, smiling at the boy.

"Thank you very much Morinozuka-senpai." He tried to divert attention from the fact that he had just made himself appear like a fool in front of the most popular club in school. He was just glad that no customers had come yet.

He backed away slightly, to the door, and opened it, addressing both twins.

"Next time. Try not to forget you notebook."

Then he tore out of the place as fast as he could.

He left Tamaki looking even more intrigued than the other day.

"What's with him?"

Haruhi glared slightly at the twins as they smiled.

"_He's a scaredy-cat!" _They chimed.

All the members of the club looked to Haruhi for confirmation. "It's true. He's nyctophobic."

"What's that?"

"Irrational fear of the dark. He's also apparently afraid of horror movies, horror movie commercials, video rental stores, and pretty much everything scary. He doesn't have any friends, really." She felt a little guilty for saying all of that.

Then she felt worse as Tamaki said: "How terrible! You know, the Host Club is a Club that helps people in need! We must help this 'Kazukiyo Souga'!"

"What?! No...I don't think..."

"Yes, we must!"

Haruhi buried her face in her hands. "Oh no...What are you planning to do?"

"Become his friend!"

Haruhi blinked. "Come again?" She could have sworn he would say something ridiculous, but it was really quite tame, for his standards.

"Yeah! Don't most fears come out of being insecure? Wouldn't not having friends just make him more insecure? And if he trusts us, we can help him indirectly!"

Kyoya looked skeptical. "You mean, he's going to be a project?"

"Pretty much!"

"Isn't that a bit mean-spirited?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we can't just pretend to be his friend. Morally, it's not very fair."

"We're not going to pretend! Well, maybe we are, but we're going to be friendly, at least, and help him indirectly!"

"You said that."

"Oh come on guys! Agree! Agree!"

"Sure!"

A shrug.

"_Whatever you say, Lord._"

"Fine. But I don't guarantee it's going to work."

"Okay, looks like I'm outvoted."

And suddenly Kazukiyo Souga was dragged into plans beyond his grasp.

With absoulutely no choice and totally against his will.


	3. Gears Turn

**Friendships Fade**

**_Thank you to my three reviewers. Everybody should take an example from them._**

**_

* * *

_**Chapter 3:

The night of the day the Host Club made their not-so-fatal descision to 'help' Souga, he couldn't sleep. He was also out of sleeping pills.

_Damn._

And he tried not to use those things...

So for the time he slept he kept seeing smiles. Smiles, smiles, smiles with no faces, just floating in thin air.

It was unnerving.

He tossed and turned all night and woke up gripping his pillow so hard his hands were white and his skin was stretched taut over his bones.

It was Saturday, qlmost the one day that students could have free time away from school to do stuff that...well...wasn't school.

So he headed to school happily. He wondered what the hell was making him so happy, especially since the world had a sort of '_Are you off cloud nine yet, or do I have to push you?' _attitude toward him. It was usually a good idea to tread the grounds of happiness with caution.

But as he walked to school, lost in his own thought, he still noticed somebody fall into step beside him.

He slid an inquiring glance to the other.

_Tamaki Suoh?!_

He wondered if Tamaki even knew he was walking next to somebody at all. Then the boy smiled excitedly at him, and he decided he did.

"Ah...Suoh-senpai?"

"Yes?"

"Er...never mind."

Tamaki's face fell, but Souga didn't notice, considering the fact he was staring right at the ground and trying to accelerate.

The blond boy attempted to start a conversation. "Why are you walking to school?"

_Why are you so insistent on talking to me?!_

"Why are you?"

"Well the limo broke down and it was my favorite limo y'know so I decided to walk because exercise is good!" The boy said in one breath.

Souga thought that if that sentence had been written down, it would lack all appropriate spaces.

"I see..." He admired the other boy's enthusiasm.

"So, what about you? Why are you walking?"

"I always walk, as you said, exercise is good."

"But always? Doesn't your family own a limo?"

"Yeah."

"And other cars?"

"Of course!"

"So why don't you go in those every once in a while?"

"I don't really like to."

"Why?"

_Stop asking questions!_

"Well, vehicles are dangerous anyway."

The other looked at him, stupefied.

"You're afraid of cars?"

"No!" The younger became defensive. "I just don't see the point of using them! It's easier like this!"

He wondered who had taught the other boy tact, because if he ever figured that out, he would smack them, because they had done an awful job.

"So, you're anly a first year, right? Fifteen?"

"Yes, and you're a second year."

"Right!"

They arrived at the school, and Kazukiyo parted awkwardly. "Well, I have to go to class."

The older boy appeared to want to say something, but the younger boy ran away as fast as he could before he did.

When he reached his classroom, his good spirits, already almost dead, deteriorated even further.

The teacher had to bring up his little accident the other day right after he had done class rep duties.

She was one of those previously mentioned 'tactless' people, you see.

It went something like this.

Sensei: Oh, Souga-kun, are you alright? That was a nasty fall yesterday!

Souga: *Blush*

Sensei: Really, are you fine?

Assorted not very nice students (they come in stuck up, mean, bully, nasty, and just downright cruel!): Tee-hee...

Souga: *Blush*

Sensei: Really, are you fine?

ANVNS: Heh heh heh heh...

Souga: *Blushes more on being put on the spot *

Sensei: Do you need to go to the Nurse? You look flushed...

ANVNS: Muahahaha!!

Souga: No, no, I'm FINE! *rushes back to seat and dies quietly*

* * *

At Luch Kazukiyo sat by himself. So far, he had one friend and several friendly acquaintances.

Kurakano Momoka, the vice rep of the class. He had known her since childhood, and did like her a lot. But she didn't sit with him, because she preferred her girlfriends' company. They had grown apart ever since entering their...was it second year of middle school?

And he did know that he had virtually no chance with her. After all, she preferred her girlfriends and...prettier boys.

And he didn't like being with his acquaintances because he was afraid if they ever got to know him better, they wouldn't like him anymore. And they never made any effort to sit with him, so he reciprocated the gesture.

He raked a hand through his hair and adjusted his glasses.

After eating, he took of his glasses and lay down his head on his arms and fell to a blissfully nightmareless sleep. He didn't even have nightmares that often, just periods in which he had them non stop.

"Kazukiyo-kun! Wake up!" A high-pitched girls' voice awoke him.

"Eh?"

"Time to go to class, Kazu-kun."

"Oh. Thank you, Momoka-san."

She smiled. "You're welcome."

Then she left, leaving him more alone than he already was.

He got to class almost last, slipping into his seat and taking out his books for History Class.

He enjoyed learning, after all.

Probably the reason he had no friends.

_Hmmm...maybe I should get several inappropriate tattoos and dye my hair...er...purple! _

He got a very disturbing mental image for that one.

_Okay...never mind then..._

_

* * *

_At Lunch, most of the Host Club, eating, had observed the younger Souga sitting alone, eating, and his situation became more and more tragic to Tamaki...

Then there had been special interest when Momoka woke him up, when they were almost out of the Cafeteria.

And gears kept turning.

* * *

_AN/ You know, I was one SHINE (a forum for Ouran High School Host Club) and I was seeing these crack pairings..._

_Like HikaruKazukiyo, or KaoruKazukiyo...you know, those could work! I'm getting ideas now..._

_One that wouldn't work. At all. NekozawaKazukiyo...that would just die...but maybe a friendship? I'm going to try that out sometime, you just see!  
_


	4. Parents

**Friendships Fade**

**_Thank you to my 2 wonderful reviewers! Everybody should take an example from them!_**

**_

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_**

_This chapter: Kazukiyo and the twins have conversations, and Kazukiyo learns that no matter how rich, beautiful, talented, or important a parent is, they never fail to embarrass their children. Ever. This is a FILLER CHAPTER!  
_

Souga pulled the tie a little tighter, taking in his beautifully crafted gray suit.

He hated it.

He hated it because wearing a suit meant he had to go to some sort of social event that he couldn't get out of. He didn't know what the even was, but everybody important was invited to it, and probably no sons or daughters at all. Except him, because he helped his father and mother's image.

Carefully, he fumbled with a small box. A box which he had dubbed 'Pure Evil'. The box which held his...contacts.

He took off his glasses and put on the contacts. He hated them. They itched.

Staring at himself in the mirror, at his straightened, styled hair and his eyes that were not covered by glasses, his high-class suit, he thought he looked like a very different person. But he wasn't. He was an awkward fifteen year old boy forced to play royalty.

He hated the fact his father was an overly-famous politician, and hoped that, for his sake, the man never got involved in any scandals. Of course, there was a possibility that if the media ever found out about his son's shortcomings, well, there would be hell to pay.

So Kazukiyo just had to stand by the man for a short while while they flashed pictures of him and look pretty. It was harder than it seemed. He just wasn't good at looking like a beautiful accessory.

Well, he was, he had just never gotten quite used to it. He practiced his best 'I'm a politician's son and I couldn't be happier!' smile in the mirror a few times.

It had gotten pretty good over the years.

The gathering was some sort of publicity party for somebody very important, that all sorts of people were invited to. Politicians, actors, actresses, singers, all sorts of people.

He stepped out of the limousine with his mother and father, in the middle. He smiled a few times, awkwardly, and then strode in with his parents. It looked less like some sort of promotion and more like a ballroom party.

And, of course, being the somewhat awkward boy that he was, his mother kept him by her as she seeked out a friend. His mother was a very good looking woman, with light brown hair and eyes the same silvery-blue color as his, and a thin frame. She wasn't young, though, which detracted from her looks a little. But when she had been younger, she had been very beautiful. People said he took after her, but he only blushed when they told him that.

That night she must have been a million years younger, she looked so gorgeous.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a shout of: "Etsu! Hey, Etsu!"

A very good-looking woman came up to the two, dressed flamboyantly.

In fact, she looked like somebody he knew...

He just couldn't place it.

She was trailed by two boys.

_Noooo..._

Kazukiyo paled and then promptly blushed. The twins were a far way behind their mother (she was a famous fashion designer, now that he thought of it) so she got to the secluded, but still light, place. It was free from people for a few good yards.

"Oh, Etsu! How are you?"

"I'm just great!"

Thank goodness the two mother's appeared to be talking. Kazukiyo tried to stay invisible, but, alas, the woman descended upon him.

"So this is your boy! I don't believe I've met him before...he looks just like you! Got Haru's hair, though...You really ought to do something about that suit, it's ill-fitting." The woman continued on her tirade as her sons came up.

"And these are your sons! Hikaru and Kaoru, right? They're gorgeous!"

Two voices at one: "Hey, mom, who's this?"

"This is Souga Etsu, my friend!"

"Souga? You wouldn't be related to a Souga Kazukiyo..."

"He's my son! Kazu, honey, come up."

He came to them. They looked surprised and a little shocked. He smiled slightly and said. "Yes, ah, I know them. They're in my class."

The Hitachiin mother looked surprised. "Neither of you told me that!"

The boys just shrugged.

Their mother turned to Kazukiyo. "So, Kazukiyo-kun...how are you? How is it at school? You're the class representative...that's great!"

Slightly afraid, he said, intelligently. "Ah...alright?"

The woman looked a bit put out, turning to his mother.

Etsu sighed. "You'll have to excuse him, he's shy."

"Hm, I wonder where he got genes for that."

"Oh, you know, he has some problems..."

Kazukiyo felt the need to shut her up there, before she blabbed about both his medical and personality/fear/mental issues. "AHEM, mother. I don't think this is the time to talk about such subjects. The press is just outside."

"Oh, I'm sorry hon! We'll move, you go along. Talk with Hikaru and Kaoru or something."

And she left, leaving him with two people he didn't know how to talk to.

He sighed to himself. "Why does she do this to me?"

Two voices: "_What?_"

Kazukiyo jumped, then blinked his eyes owlishly at the twin. "Well, my mother seems to always expect me to know how to talk to other people my age, just because everbody else in my family is outgoing to a fault."

The twins looked amused. "She looks just like you, though."

He blushed harder. "So I've heard."

They smirked, and then, together: "_Something seems different about you._"

He blushed even more. "Pure evil..." He muttered.

"_What was that?"_

"Nothing. I just had my hair straightened and put on contacts."

One of the twins smiled knowingly. "Contacts, wonders they can do, really."

"I hate them..."

Suddenly, Hurricane 'Father' swept down on them, with a few other men, and another man.

"Oh, hi dad."

He sighed. "Hello, father. Gentlemen." He nodded to the other men.

_Why me?_

"Ha ha, Haru, what a gentleman your son is turning out to be."

"Yes, one of the top in his class, too."

The twins' father (who looked nothing like them and acted less like them) smiled. "My boys are pretty good too, you know. Top five in their class. Also very creative."

_Oh no. This isn't one of those 'well MY son can...' coversations, is it?_

It was.

_Strike me down, dear God._

The twins smiled, looking fairly happy with that arrangement.

"Oh, well, Kazukiyo's top in his class, other than the newest scholarship student. He's class president."

"Well, your boy surpasses mine in that field. But mine are so popular among the students. Could get any girl they wanted, those two."

That was were things started to go wrong. "Well, I can't say the same for mine. Hasn't brought home a girl in years. Or ever."

The boy in question buried his face in one hand. The twins seemed amused, but looked at him pityingly anyway.

"Well, Kazukiyo does excel in academics. He also can sing well, used to do it all the time."

_Too much information, dad!_

"Really?"

"Yes, he gets that from his mother."

"Oh, but my boys are real daredevils."

"Wow, how I wish Kazukiyo was one of those!"

"Ha ha!"

Kazukiyo had crossed the line of 'mortified' to 'suicidal' by the end of the night.

* * *

The next day, he avoided the twins. Yes, even though he had all his classes with them, he did a wonderful job of avoiding them and hoping they had just totally forgotten about everything that happened the other day.

They probably had not, and he just hoped that they had magically acquired that wonderous thing called 'tact'.


	5. Such a Good Boy

**Friendships Fade**

_This chapter: More of a filler chapter than last chapter, but pretty interesting. Etsu Souga regrets how she raised Kazukiyo to her dear friend, the twins' mother. This chapter does not contain the twins at all. I just thought the mother's would be friends. This is a dramatic chapter, and it's where the Drama comes in. FLASHBACK CHAPTER!!!  
_

_**Thank you to my one reviewer. Everyone should seriously take an example from her. Seriously, only one review last chapter? If you read, review.**  
_

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* * *

_Hitachiin Yuzuha opened the door for her dear friend, Etsu, smiling. Then she frowned as she saw how unhappy Etsu looked.

"What's wrong?"

The black-haired woman collapsed into tears. "Oh, Yuzuha!"

"What's wrong? No, step in, have some tea."

The lady stepped in, wiping at her eyes, and then walked into the spacious parlor. She sat down heavily and sipped from her tea glass.

"So, Etsu, will you tell me what's wrong, now that we're settled?"

"Alright, here goes...I think I've failed."

"What _do _you mean?"

"I think I've succeeded so well as a wife, but I've failed so completely at being a mother! Isn't that what's most important?"

"No, honey, you haven't failed at being a mother! Kazukiyo is a wonderful boy. He's so polite, so sweet, so smart. What makes you think you've failed?"

"_That!"_

"The fact that he's a wonderful boy?"

"Yes!"

"Why, pray tell?"

"It's that, he's just such a good boy, he's so obedient, so much like everything I always wanted my child to be."

"So what the hell's wrong?"

"He's not what I want! I know that no child's perfect, but I think I just haven't been a mother to him! I haven't groomed him since he was a small boy, I haven't been that figure that he always looked to for warmth! I didn't help him with his homework when he struggled-not that he ever did, but that's beyond the point-and I just haven't done anything for him."

"Oh, I'm sure you have. I've had these same thoughts with the twins. But then I realize how wonderful they've grown up..."

"But your boys are so charming, so charismatic, so intelligent. Kazukiyo is intelligent, but charming and charismatic? Hah!"

Yuzuha spoke gently.

"You can't stop Kazukiyo from being Kazukiyo. He's shy, it's his nature."

"I-I know! But something when I look at him, when I hear him say 'everything's fine, mother, don't worry for me' makes me know that I might have left him in the care of a Nanny one too many times. He doesn't know me! I can tell, when he looks at me, he's seeing a perfect stranger. And the same goes for Haru. Haru taught Kazukiyo about how to tally stocks, how to play catch-which he's terrible at, by the way-and how to play chess. But he didn't do anything terribly important. Kazukiyo raised Kazukiyo, and we're just live-in strangers, aren't we?"

"I'm sure you aren't..."

"I always knew he was different from all the other children. I mean, from to time he was two to when he was six, it was normal. After all, almost all smal children are afraid of the dark. But he couldn't shake it. He still sleeps with a lamp on."

"Ohhh..."

"And he's afraid of the stupidest things. He doesn't like watching T.V. because there might be a commercial for a horror movie. He can't handle horror. He sometimes goes to video rental places, but he always steers clear of the 'New Releases' section. I don't know why! And, well, you know how jumpy he is. _My son is afraid of everything scary!_"

Yuzuha decided not to tell her that they often put Horror movies next to Comedy.

"These are all Kazukiyo's shortcomings, not yours. Just because you may not have raised him or been with him like you wished, it doesn't mean you could have changed him if you had."

"Maybe I could have sent him to therapy, maybe that would have helped."

"It isn't too late."

"It is. I couldn't do that to him. If I had been around him all the time since he was five, maybe I could tell him that now. But I haven't, so I can't. It won't help him, it'll hurt him."

"I understand."

"And I love my son so much. I really do! I just wished I loved him more, so I could care more. But after all these years of just watching how he grows up as though it was a boring film in the cinema, making sure he was on top of all of his classes, and kissing him 'hello' or 'goodbye' when I can, I realize. I've failed at the most important thing I've ever done. Being a mother."

"No..."

"Yes!"

"I'm sure you were a betetr mother than me."

"Even if that was so, you have your excuses. You work. I just stay by my husband, take care of him, and have totally neglected my child for _fifteen years_. It's too late to go back."

...

_'Mommy! Look!' The little eight year old boy gave his paper to Etsu._

_He had gotten full marks, the teacher having claimed he was one of the brightest students in the class._

_Of course, Etsu thought, my son would be nothing more than the best in the class._

_She kissed him. 'That's wonderful, Kazukiyo.'_

_The boy grinned. 'Will you read it?'_

_'I'm afraid not. I'm having a party in a couple of hours. I will, sometime.' She shoved the paper back into his hands absentmindedly, and rushed away, high heels clacking on cool tile floors._

_She never did read that paper._

_...  
_

"I just didn't sufficiently _care_ for him. And when I started to, I realized that he had slipped past me."

...

_'Kazukiyo, your teacher has been telling me how wonderfully you've been doing at school. She told me that one of your papers was voted the best in the whole class! Why didn't you tell me?'_

_Twelve year old Kazukiyo smiled slightly, but then shrugged. 'I don't know. I thought you'd be busy.'_

_'Oh no, I'd love to read it.'_

_'Sorry mother, but it's too late. The teacher kept it as an example for future classes.'_

_'O-oh...well, that's great.'_

_Kazukiyo smiled widely, but he turned away before she could give him a kiss._

_..._

"But it's not my fault. It can't be. I just always had so many things to do. But I've had my moments to shine, and I know he understands and he loves me for that."

...

_A scream reverberated through the house, and Etsu sat up straight in her bed, realizing that the help was out for the night, and her husband was too._

_She ran to Kazukiyo's room, only to open the door and be flooded by light._

_There was another shout when she entered from the shadows. 'Don't come near me...oh, it's only you, mother.'_

_Her fourteen year old was sitting up in bed, face tear wet and hair slicked to his face with sweat._

_'Sorry I woke you up. I had a bad dream.'_

_'About what?'_

_'Nothing. Nothing important.'_

_Etsu felt he was withholding something important from her._

_'Well...alright. Sleep well.'_

_She reached to turn off the lamp, but a thin hand stopped her._

_'Don't turn it off.'_

_'You're fourteen years old, don't you think you should be sleeping with the light on?'_

_'No.' He answered promptly._

_'Well then...o.k.'_

_He smiled as she walked away and clicked the door shut._

...

"I've always tried to understand him."

...

_'Hey, Kazukiyo.'_

_The thirteen year old looked toward his mother, smiling. He smiled a lot._

_'Yes?'_

_So polite..._

_'Why don't you invite Momoka-chan over?'_

_'No. Momoka-san can't make it. She's hanging out with her friends.'_

_'Oh. I see. I'll go.'_

_She pretended not to notice his grateful look._

_..._

"He was always popular with the girls, but never as more than acquaintances. Hm. Maybe it is just him and I haven't been such a horrible mother all these years. I'm sorry to disturd you." Etsu downed the rest of her tea, smiling. "I'll go now! See you later!"

* * *

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**


	6. The Plague

**Friendships Fade**

**_Thank you to my one reviewer. Yet again, she is the ONLY reviewer. What happened to the interest in this story? If you believe I am doing something wrong with how I write it, tell me, don't boycott it. Please, reviews really do inspire me to write more and update sooner._**

_Please, be considerate and review._

_This chapter: And, as a sub-plot, Kazukiyo meets the most terrifying person in the world. Oh yeah, it's the start of Souga/Nekozawa friendship. And, Kazukiyo feels ill...uh-oh...(IT'S MORI TIME!!!)  
_

_

* * *

_Kazukiyo stood in front of the class, giving his usual report.

Thankfully, nothing important was happening.

So he could sit down.

He wasn't exactly in a bad mood, per se.

...He just wasn't in a good one.

And he had a head-ache that made him want to bash his skull against the wall. Then he realized that wouldn't make much sense, because that would just make his head hurt worse.

Never mind, it would probably kill him.

So, as he was thinking those muddled and incredibly confusing thoughts as he walked down the hallway, he didn't notice when he ran into somebody.

"'M sorry." He mumbled.

"No, no, I'm sorry." The voice was incredibly creepy, and looking at the person who had said those creepy words, Kazukiyo had to forcefully keep himself from shrieking:

GET AWAY FROM ME!

NOW!

OH MY GOD WHAT ARE YOU!?

All at the same time. Though, again, that wasn't physically possible.

"Are you alright?"

Kazukiyo's eyes were bigger than usual, but he breathed in and out carefully. "Yes. I am."

"Very well." As the guy turned away, Kazukiyo swore he heard the freakiest laugh ever.

It went something like 'kukukuku'.

_That was weird. _

Shakily, he headed off to class, and vowed to, if he ever saw that boy again, always steer very clear of him.

Very, very clear.

* * *

The day went by, Kazukiyo watching with a sort of detatched fascination.

He felt odd, and slightly ill. But he knew it wasn't anything serious, probably just the common cold or something of the sort.

For a while after school, he stayed around Ouran, not really feeling up to walking. He sat by the large fountain outside of the school, back leaning against it as his sweater rode up his back slightly.

He felt tired...

And not to mention the fact that what he was feeling wasn't the common cold.

It was freezing, even though the sun beat down, hard, and his forehead felt like an iron burning.

_Ugh. I want my mommy. Wait, did I just think that? Weird..._

In his life so far he had never actually thought that thought.

_Weird. _

Was he being redundant, or was it just him?

_Where did Mary's lamb go to anyway? Did she ever find that thing?  
_

At that, he thought this was starting to get creepy.

_Darn. I think I am sick._

No kidding.

His head nodded backwards, and just like that he slipped into...

_Ahhh...deep...relaxing...oblivion...._

It wasn't until he almost slept when panic arose in him, very slightly.

_Am I going to wake up?_

Then, he thought:

_Why can't I ever relax?_

After that short 'conversation' with himself, consisting of him asking questions (to himself, of course) and nobody answering them (kind of obvious, considering how he had asked the question to begin with, how would he be able to answer the question?) he finally went to sleep.

* * *

The boy stared down at the younger one, wondering what he was supposed to do. The rest of the Host Club had left some time ago, and Honey had had a dentist's appointment and had to leave school early, leaving Mori to wander aimlessly around the school after Kendo club, realizing he had forgotten to set up a ride.

_Looks like I'm going to have to walk home._

It was perfectly okay with him, he didn't care much, one way or another.

And then he nearly tripped over a body (but he didn't trip, because Mori never tripped).

It wasn't a dead body, thank goodness.

But it was that boy that Tamaki had singled out as somebody to watch. Souga Kazukiyo, Mori recalled.

And the boy was fast asleep, leaning on the fountain.

He didn't look well, hair pasted to his face with sweat, and cheeks flushed.

Mori knelt down, and nudged the boy once or twice. Kazukiyo didn't wake up. Mori frowned, almost imperceptibly. He placed his hand on the other boy's forehead, and frowned more.

_He's above average body temperature, that's for sure._

Mori nudged the boy harder, almost shoving. All that happened was Kazukiyo banging his head against the fountain. Somehow, though,that woke him up.

"Wha...? Morinozuka-senpai? What are you doing here?" His words slurred together lightly.

Mori shrugged slightly, and then got up, extending his hand to the other. Kazukiyo was thankful, but he didn't want to infect the boy with whatever horrible fatal plague he had.

_Oh the mellodrama...I wonder if I should write a soap opera._

But Mori's hand stayed in front of Kazukiyo's face persistently, so he took it.

_And then the plague spread...and spread...and horribly deformed people..._

Kazukiyo hauled himself up, and grabbed his book bag, smiling weakly at the older boy. "Thank you Morinozuka-senpai. That was very kind of you."

_Must...be...polite...to plague victim..._

"Aa."

That was the first word Mori had said, if it even counted as a word, in the whole conversation.

Kazukiyo smiled. Then he began to head home, purposefully. "Sorry I bothered you." He mumbled as he felt woozy. He stumbled slightly.

As began to go home, Mori said: "Do you have a ride home?"

_A whole sentence! Wow! I was beginning to think he wasn't physically capable of stringing words together._

"Um...no. I don't like cars." He admitted.

Mori knew it was a bad idea to let an obviously feverish boy go home.

"Wait. Where do you live?"

Kazukiyo didn't even analyze what that could mean as he told the other boy.

"Near my house. I'll get you home."

"O...okay..."

Mori walked with the boy every step to the house. The younger boy stumbled, and felt the need to vomit several times, but refrained from being sick.

When they finally got to the house, Kazukiyo smiled slightly, his glazed eyes distant. "Thank you. You...you...didn't have to..."

Mori felt a tug of concern at his heart. "You shouldn't come to school tomorrow." Were his parting words as the other boy stepped through the door of his house.

"Mmmkay..." Was his answer.

The butler, quietly asked his employer's son what was wrong, because, frankly, all of the staff were quite fond of the fifteen year old.

"I'm..." Kazukiyo collapsed before he could answer.

His chest felt like there was weights on it.

_Not the plague...pneumonia..._

As the help carried him into his room and hurriedly called an ambulance, he reawakened for a little while, just to say...

"Don't turn off the light."

Before lapsing into unconsciousness.

* * *

AN/ 15animefreak15-this chapter was for you! I know how much you like Mori!

Oooh...the action's building up.

And why didn't Mori figure out something was wrong? He knew it, but thought that helping the other boy home would be most sensible.

_Please review. Please. I'm begging you! Now I'm using pathos...do you want me to lose interest in my story because I don't have enough reader response?_


	7. A Deeper Hole

**Friendships Fade**

_Thank you to my FIVE reviewers! Everybody should really take an example from them._

_This Chapter: Kazukiyo wakes up in a hospital, and everything goes weird. Especially with a little visit from the Host Club. And then, everything gets weirder, when he finally figures out something about Haruhi, and things move quickly.  
_

_If I got anything wrong about the illness, tell me.  
_

_

* * *

_It was quiet.

It was all quiet and all he could hear was the sound of a heartbeat, and breathing in, and breathing out, and endless light for miles and miles...and it was perfect.

Kazukiyo turned his head to the one side, trying to groan as he woke up from his perfect dream.

He breathed in and out, his chest constricting with pain as he labored to breathe. But he felt a little better.

And then he realized where he was.

_The hospital? What? Why am I in the Hospital?_

Suddenly the events of the past day ran through his mind.

_Right. That. The plague._

Suddenly, he saw a nurse bustle in. She smiled. "Good to know you're awake, honey. We were worried about you for a while. You have pneumonia, bad enough to be in here, not bad enough to be on oxygen though. Be thankful."

Somehow, he just couldn't bring himself to be thankful. He was hospitalized. Taking medicine out of a drip that made him feel queasy whenever he looked at it, and he probably would be out for a couple of days, by the looks of things.

But...he wasn't on oxygen! So he still was not happily breathing easily! Yay!

But at least his symptoms had alleviated somewhat with the presence of medicine.

"Pneumonia." He mumbled, wincing.

"Yes. Did you think it was something different?"

Maybe it was the medicine making him woozy.

"The plague..."

He didn't stay awake long enough to hear her "Excuse me?".

* * *

When the twins walked into the classroom with Haruhi, they all noticed one main thing. Only Kurakano Momoka was at the front of the room, not with the actual class rep.

And Souga was never, ever late.

Everybody knew that.

Kaoru asked the girl first. "Where's Souga?"

Momoka frowned. "He couldn't make it today. I called his house, and somebody said he was sick. Really sick...he's in the hospital. With pneumonia or something."

"Oh, wow."

"He won't be back for a while."

_"Pity."_

"It is." Momoka agreed with Hikaru and Kaoru solemnly.

* * *

Later on in the Third Music Room before any girls had begun to arrive, Kaoru had off-handedly mentioned to Tamaki that Souga was in the hospital with pneumonia.

Tamaki, reacting in his overly concerned way, proposed that some time during the week they visit the boy. (After all, the Host Club was to help people in need, as well as entertain ladies.)

Mostly out of guilt, everybody agreed.

Mori said nothing about his encounter with the already sick Kazukiyo.

Honey knew, but that was all.

* * *

Kazukiyo's later sleeps were dreamless. Completely dreamless.

Until he opened his eyes, still not feeling quite well, but beginning to feel much better, and saw...

Maybe he was still dreaming.

Because, the Host Club? Really?

He closed his eyes hard, and opened them a few seconds later.

Nope. Still there.

He groaned slightly. "What on Earth are you doing here?" He mumbled to nobody in particular.

Tamaki jumped in, cheerfully. "We heard you were sick! I hope you're feeling better, though."

_Am I hallucinating?_

Tamaki smiled again.

_Oh for heaven's sake..._

"How's it been going?"

_I'm not._

_

* * *

_The next few days until Kazukiyo got out of the hospital, still not ready to go to school, at least one person from the Host Club would be there.

He especially liked his visits with Honey. The young Haninozuka was smart, but most of all very sweet and dedicated.

Plus, in their conversations, the younger didn't have to say a word, Honey talked so much. All he had to do was nod sleepily.

Later, when he got out of the hospital and back to his bed in his home, either Momoka or Haruhi would bring over his schoolwork, which he would devour. He was so bored...he wanted to go back to school. He liked school.

Then, when he was about to bang his head against a wall, he figured something out about Haruhi that suddenly made everything far more interesting.

The boy had bent down to get a dropped paper, and just then, he had blushed. Really hard.

Well, he'd been expecting it...but had dismissed it in a frenzy, blushing.

_There is no way Haruhi can be a girl. Just...effeminate._

But as far as he knew, boys didn't wear bras.

_How embarrassing._

_

* * *

_One day when he was almost better and the twins had come over, uninvited, because his mother and their mother were _tight,_ he asked them something.

Hey, he had a right. They were considerably gentler to him than they were to others, something about 'purity', but they still weren't nice to him.

"How long has Fujioka-san been hiding that she's not a boy?"

Hikaru (or was it Kaoru?), who had been drinking tea, sprayed it all over the carpet. "WHAT?!"

Kaoru (or Hikaru) stood up, eyes wide. "How'd you figure it out?!"

Then he realized his mistake. "I mean, what makes you think that?"

They were both staring at him, and that made Kazukiyo nervous, adding on to the blush that had already lightly formed across his cheeks.

"Seriously, class rep."

The blush became heavier.

"_Talk!"_ The order made him finally spit it out.

"Fujioka-san's shirt was too baggy, she bent down to grab something, and...well...er...yep."

The two boys stared at him, before finally collapsing into a fit of laughter.

Kaoru laughed breathlessly. "Oh my god...good boy Souga..."

Hikaru finished the sentence for him. "Looked down a girl's shirt!"

Kazukiyo's full body had become bright red by then, resembling a scary case of humiliation-induced sunburn.

"Just wait until..."

"Tono hears about this..."

"He'll freak..."

Kazukiyo groaned and put his hands to his face, hiding it.

* * *

A week later, when the twins broke the news and the class representative was cured, the Host Club was in the middle of a dilemma.

"WHAT?!"

"Wow, how'd he figure that out?"

"Wait, I'm careful with this...it must have been some mistake."

"He was sick, maybe he could think it was a hallucination."

"Ch, Souga's pretty smart."

"Definitely."

"WE MUST DO SOMETHING! _HE'LL TELL EVERYBODY!"_

"_Relax, Tono. He promised not to tell. Embarrassed and everything."_

"But...what if he blurts it out?"

"He doesn't seem like the type..."

"Well, I guess that now he knows our secret, there's nothing to do but carry out Tamaki's plans."

"Good point! He is still in need!"

"But what really puzzles me is how he managed to find out about this."

_"Trust us, you don't want to know."_


	8. Filler Words

**Friendships Fade**

**_Thank you to all of my reviewers, everybody should seriously take an example from them._  
**

**

* * *

**Nothing really happened the day Kazukiyo went back to school.

He walked in, was greeted by his sensei, and Momoka hugged him, which made him blush.

A few people welcomed him back, the twins and Haruhi included. He blushed whenever he looked at Haruhi, from that embarrassing discovery he had made.

_It's not my fault. It was pink...and frilly...and...AUGH!_

The whole day was perfectly normal.

Comets didn't rain from the sky, life as he knew it wasn't suddenly changed, the planets didn't align...

No. That happened the next day.

* * *

Said life-changing (okay, he was being a bit melodramatic) event happened when the twins approached him about an hour before the after-school Host Club began. "_Hey." _They said together. _"Wanna join us?"_

He stared dumbly at them, adjusting his glasses. "Pardon me?"

"_Do you want to hang out at the Host Club before all the girls get there?"_

He blinked slowly, not quite believing what they were asking him to do.

_Hang out...with them. No...no way. They're way out of my league. _

But there was some kind of manic gleam in their eyes that made him completely sure that 'no' wasn't taken as an answer. Perhaps it wasn't even in the twins' vocabulary. It was probably there even less than 'tact'.

"Um...o...kay?" It came out as a questio, but he had been expecting that.

_Face it, Kazukiyo. You're never going to be the self-assured, confident, perfect person you and just about anything else wants you to be. Might as well just get used to having just about every sentence act like a question. Embrace it, Kazukiyo..._

Good God, he sounded like he was telling himself to join some sort of cult!

When he got out of his self-pity-induced reverie, he was already at the Host Club room. It smelled like sakura blossoms, as always, and for the fiftieth time, he wondered what he was doing there. Of course, usually he would have used some sort of club to get away. But that couldn't be an excuse, because any clubs he belonged to were disbanded.

"Kazu-chan! You made it!" Honey's high voice pierced through his thoughts.

"Yeah. What did I make, exactly?" He mumbled out, confused, as he was pulled to another side of the room.

In there were couches, a piano, teapots, and the rest of the Hosts.

Tamaki smiled brilliantly. "Souga! So glad you could make it!" He trilled.

Kazukiyo just waved.

"Sit down, sit down!"

Kazukiyo just stood there like a rail before he was pulled onto the couch.

Tamaki's overly-eager face appeared in his direct line of vision and he cried out in shock.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" The boy delightedly bounded over to where Kyoya was sitting, crowing, "There's out guest!"

Kyoya looked up for a split second.

Kazukiyo looked over at Haruhi, who sat next to him when he wasn't paying attention, and started. He felt more jumpy than usual.

_More jumpy than usual...you must be bouncing off the walls, Kazu._

Kazukiyo frowned, telling the little voice in the back of his mind to _shut up, I don't want to hear it!_

"Souga-kun?" Haruhi's slightly monotone voice made him realize that he was daydreaming. "You look troubled. No...you look tired."

He blinked. Nobody had ever noticed that he actually looked tired before. "Ah...it's nothing. I'm fine. Well-rested. Yeeessss..."

_Wow, what a convincing lie! The best you've told ever!_

What was scary was that he couldn't decide if his inner voice was being genuine or sarcastic.

He knew Haruhi knew he was lying, but she wisely stayed out of his business.

They sat there in an odd silence, before he asked. "Is there a reason I'm here?"

"Huh...I'm really not sure. I suppose that now that you know I'm a girl and all..."

The boy blushed, combing back his hair with his fingers. "I'm sorry about that. It was a very well-kept secret...I won't tell anybody, you know."

"I didn't think you would."

He tried to smile.

"Thanks...I guess...er..."

_Was that a compliment? Or just a comment? I'm so confused._

After a little while of talking pleasantly (and awkwardly) Kazukiyo got up to leave a little while before the first girls came.

* * *

The next day, the teacher announced that they were going to be doing a group project. A paper.

Kazukiyo hated group projects, because though nobody complained about being paired with him, they knew they could have gotten better.

_Wow, you have such great self-esteem. I mean, you make such a great rich kid. It's amazing._

Eventually, his name was read. "Souga Kazukiyo and Fujioka Haruhi."

Haruhi half-smiled at him. He tried to smile back, but it was more of a spastic twitch of the facial muscles.

He walked over to her as everybody was milling about talking to their groups. "So...we should get this over with soon, right? Where should we meet?"

"Maybe my home?"

"Yours?" Wasn't she a scholarship student? Did that mean she wasn't rich?

_Nooooo...who would've thought?! _His sarcastic inner voice gasped.

"Yeah, sure. Do you want to meet at your house or something?"

"No, it's alright." Nobody would be home, and if anybody was home he would just look like more of a loser.

The boy whose parents don't care enough about him to give him a second glance in the hallways, or even remember his name. "Hello son.", "Goodbye son.", "How's school, _son?_" He wondered exactly when they had forgotten that his name wasn't _son._

"Oh, well I should warn you. My father is coming home early, so it's only be fair to. My father works in a cross-dressing bar. If a woman steps into the house randomly, be assured that he isn't a woman."

"Oh..." He didn't ask where her mother was, because of a wonderful little thing called _tact._

He supposed she was either dead or she and Haruhi's father had divorced. He was inching towards the first choice.

"Alright. So, after school. There's no Host Club today, so that won't be a problem."

He just nodded.

* * *

The house was small, not really a house. No, apartment. Kazukiyo felt a sudden pang of jealousy that left as quickly as it came. Her home wasn't too big. It was a bit too small, however...

He wondered which one he preferred.

Inside, Haruhi lit a candle in front of a portrait of a pretty woman who looked slightly like her.

_Her mother._ He felt a twang of compassion, but said nothing.

Haruhi mouthed some words, and finally turned towards him, giving him a smile.

"So." He began. "Let's...uh...work."

_Yeah, if you really want to work with Mr. Filler-Words-Are-My-Only-Vocabulary._


	9. Are you Alright?

**Friendships Fade**

_THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS!_

_

* * *

_Kazukiyo had been working with Haruhi for a while. He mumbled to himself as he wrote some of the essay. Haruhi had changed a little while ago, into a fairly plain but definitely girls outfit. But, Kazukiyo did not make big deal out of it, after all, he was a master of hiding his emotions...okay, maybe not, but he kept the shock out of his eyes, didn't he?

She had had to run to the supermarket, wanting to make tea but not having all the proper ingredients. She had told Kazukiyo just to work on the essay, and he was doing so obediently. He was still a little intimidated by her.

No, not because she was a girl. He had kind of gotten over that.

It was mainly because she was a person. And he wasn't good with people. In fact, the correct term would be _socially awkward._

_You're intimidated by anything. Would it kill you just to walk up to somebody and kick up a conversation every once in a while?_ His inner voice asked him.

_Yes. Yes. Definitely yes. _

_You are pathetic._

_Yes. Yes I am. _

Haruhi interrupted his state of self-loathing by coming back and beginning to make tea. "My father should be on his way home by now." She said, probabaly trying to make idle chatter.

Kazukiyo didn't chatter, and if he did it wasn't idle, so he just mumbled. "M'kay, Fujioka-san..."

"You know, you can tone down the honorifics a little. Fujioka-chan, maybe?" The girl mentioned offhandedly.

"M'kay, Fujioka-chan." He was surprised at how easily he had given in to her. After all, he still called Momoka Kurakano-san, and even sometimes Momoka-san, but she had always tried to get him to call her Momoka-chan. He wouldn't, though. That was just too personal for him.

But Haruhi seemed to be the type that could become scary.

So he decided to comply.

Soon after, when they were both sipping tea and talking about the essay, somebody entered the apartment. "Haruhi, my darling daughter!" He heard a voice call out happily.

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "Hello, dad."

A man came in, dressed, of course, as Kazukiyo had been expecting, as a woman. He was very convincing, actually.

When he focused on the boy, his eyes narrowed. "You are?"

Kazukiyo flushed, and feeling his voice waver, he almost whispered. "Souga Kazukiyo. Ah, pleased to meet you, ah, Fujioka-san."

The elder Fujioka's glare toned down a little. "You're from her school."

Souga felt his voice leave him as he was stared down, so he just nodded.

"How do you know that she is...a she?"

Kazukiyo managed a couple of weak filler words.

He felt Haruhi sigh heavily beside him. "Stop it, dad, you're scaring him. I'm still not sure how he knows, but it's no big deal."

"Ah, our relationship is...platonic, Fujioka-san."

The man before him then smiled brightly. "That's wonderful! So, why are you here?"

"School project."

"Oh! That's nice!" The elder Fujioka really was nice, but Kazukiyo didn't relax. He didn't really often relax around adults...or teenagers...or small children...

Okay, he was pathetic.

Kazukiyo took a gulp of his tea, and ended up choking quietly on the burning stuff.

"Ano..." Haruhi sighed. "Are you alright, Souga-kun?"

Souga made a noise that sounded like "yes, Fujioka-chan".

Haruhi's father came behind him and began to say something, an action which made him nearly have a heart attack.

"Are you alright?" This time the other Fujioka asked him that. He seemed to always be getting asked the same question. "Are you alright?", "Are you feeling well?", and "Are you okay?" seemed to be the most popular incarnations of that godforsaken question.

It was a question that was just _made _to be lied to.

"Yes, Fujioka-san."

"Oh, please, call me Ranka!"

"Yes, Fujioka-san."

He heard twin sighs come from both sides of him.

It, for some reason, made him blush deeply. But, really, everything made him blush. Or flush. Or burn. Or whatever it was supposed to be called.

He almost violently started working on the paper again. "So I think that this word is misplased Fujioka-chan, and that one is bad, and this bad, and we should take this passage out, and then..." He continued rambling.

"Souga?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

He followed Haruhi's orders.

They continued working, Kazukiyo poring over the work because he was frankly too awkward to do much but work. But he worked well. He could forget he was talking to another person when he was doing group work with somebody.

Eventually, Haruhi looked out the window and noted how late it had gotten. "Hey, I think you should go home now."

She heard a mumble, one that sounded slightly like "why should I? Bet no one missed me."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. You're right, it's late."

"Would you like a ride? Dad can drive you."

"No, it's alright."

"Really? It's dark outside."

He looked outside, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach and feeling his heartbeat become a little more rushed than usual at the thought of going out there. "It isn't that dark. More dim. If I run, I should make it home before it's really dark."

"Are you sure?"

Kazukiyo gathered up his things and made to leave. "Yes. I'm sure."

"Alright. See you at school tomorrow."

"See you."

* * *

...And that was how he found himself tearing home at a pace he didn't quite know he could actually run at, and noticing how it was rapidly darkening around him.

He felt nervous, suddenly, and then saw his house in view just as it really became dark, the faint lamplight the only thing illuminating his way.

He brushed away the one or two tears that had somehow slipped down his face and walked inside, then tore up the stairs and waited until he was in his room to panic. For no particular reason. Because he was out of the dark, at the moment.

Eventually, he got his breathing under control, which was a great relief.

He groaned. "I want sleep." He mumbled to himself.

He really did want sleep. But he couldn't. He tried every way imaginable to go to sleep.

He read himself a story.

He drank milk.

_He counted exactly five hundred seventy nine sheep, for god's sake!_

What else could he do?

The medicine cabinet in the bathroom called to him. _Come, Kazukiyo, come to us!_

He gladly complied.

* * *

At school the next day he still felt tired, still having not slept enough for, well, a fifteen year old boy.

He coasted through his class rep announcements, feeling like dying a little.

Just a little.

Okay, a lot.

But that was besides the point.

Way besides the point. (When had he started getting so off topic?)

Later, a while after class, as he walked along the halls on his way to go home, he ran into somebody.

Again. He always ran into people.

The person he ran into was a person he had seen before, and obviously run away from.

(Because he was a coward. That was more than obvious.)

The boy wore a long black cloak, and all Kazukiyo could do was stare at his dumbly, too scared to get back up.

And then he noticed he was bleeding from his hand. He didn't know why, though.

"Are you alright?"

The only thing that he could think about was the decided creepiness of the voice, of the person, of the cat puppet that happened to be on said persons hand.

"Are you?"

...That question again.

But this time, it was a bit hard to lie to the question, considering the copious amounts of blood coming from his hand. (Okay, maybe not copious. But he could overdramatize if he wanted to.)

He took one glance of the blood dripping from his pale skin, felt suddenly very sick, and fell backwards onto the hard, tiled floor.


	10. The Point of no Return

**Friendships Fade**

**Thank you to my reviewers. :) They make me happy...  
**

_An/ This isn't a very happy chapter...I'm not sure why..._

**

* * *

**Kazukiyo didn't remember much about what happened after he passed out, just that he got up long enough to be led to some room.

He woke up, eventually.

_Ow...my head...ow...my hand...ow..._

But he felt okay, other than those two..._glaring..._problems.

Until he opened his eyes.

_What? Oh no...it's dark...it's dark...it's really dark...no, like, really dark..._

He managed to let out a short, squeaky "Excuse me?" out to the general room. IT WAS DARK.

_Alert! Alert! Alert! There's something in the shadows over there Kazu...that thing just moved...you're dead..._

He squeaked again, and then began breathing shallowly as he noticed somebody in front of him. Somebody wearing a black robe and hood.

_OH MY GOD IT'S NOT HUMAN!_

"What's going on?"

_OKAY MAYBE IT IS HUMAN DOESN'T MAKE ANYTHING LESS DANGEROUS ALERT ALERT ALERT WHERE THE HELL AM I NONONONO_

"What's wrong?"

Kazukiyo would usually have been immensely proud of managing to work around his racing breath and racing pulse and managing to squeak out "the light, the light, turn on the light, damn it!"

But he was too busy panicking.

_Oh my god I haven't written my will since I was thirteen..._

He then realized, among his racing thoughts, that it was rather pathetic to have even created a will at this stage in his life...at all.

Well, he'd always been a pessimist...

But back to the present situation, in which he was making a total fool of himself.

"You want me to turn on the light?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?!" He gasped out.

A flashlight flickered on, shining in his face. It was too weak to blind him, but it gave him the light he coveted so.

He continued to try to regulate his breathing, shutting his eyes tightly and counting his breaths. _One, two, three, one two, three._

Then he looked over at the person who had the flashlight. "AUGH!"

"What now?"

"What are you?!"

"Excuse me?"

"The cloak!" He squeaked.

"Oh..." The boy took off the hood of his cloak, reavealing blue eyes and blond hair.

He looked less like a crazed murderer now, so Kazukiyo went back to regulating his breathing.

"Are you afraid of the dark?" The boy said curiously.

_Well, gee, where'd you get THAT idea?_

Kazukiyo just nodded, feeling exhausted and profoundly stupid. "Who are you?" He croaked out.

"Nekozawa Umehito. You are...ano..."

"Souga Kazukiyo. Pleased to meet you." He went through the motions with a rather impressive job of keeping the shakiness out of his voice.

_No. NOT PLEASED to meet you. I wouldn't be in this situation if I hadn't met you. _He suddenly felt a childish embarrassment, the most elementary kind he got when he knew he had acted amazingly idiotic.

_He must think I'm a coward now..._

_Why do you care?_

_I don't want more people thinking I'm a coward. Momoka thinks I'm a coward..._

He was dragged out of his thoughts by getting the flashlight handed to him. He sat up on the floor he had been laying on and shined the light on his face, calming him. He looked over at Nekozawa, who was looking over at him with an interested gaze.

"What?"

"What?"

"Why are you looking at me?"

"You are interesting."

_Is he planning to dissect me? Alive? _

"W-why?"

"I do not know. I have never met anybody with such a drastically opposite fear as mine."

"You're photophobic?"

"Indeed."

_How can somebody be scared of light? That's just not natural..._

_You think your fear is natural, Kazukiyo? Think again._

He sat there with Nekozawa, both wrapped up in their own thoughts until the cloaked one commented. "You cut your hand."

"Yeah. How did I do that?"

"Maybe a tile was loose, and when you fell you cut your hand?"

_Wow. I managed to fall on possibly the only loose tile in Ouran. _

_That is talent._

"You look miserable."

"I'm not, really. Thanks for getting me here."

_Now I only look stupid to one person, because nobody's stepping around me in the hallways._

"Well...um...I should go now. Wait...where am I?" He felt a little apprehensive.

"The Black Magic Club."

Kazukiyo squeaked in terror.

"Ano, I should go now."

"Perhaps I shall see you around?"

Nekozawa, he decided, wasn't really that bad when he wasn't wearing the cloak. It was nice being with somebody who had an irrational fear like his.

"Yeah. Maybe."

He stumbled a little as he left.

* * *

The next day, he and Haruhi decided to work at his house. When they got there, Haruhi raised an eyebrow. "Wow. This place is huge."

_I know. More places for evil to hide...yay. It makes me happy, I swear._

He, instead of saying his thoughts, shrugged and smiled. "I know." He opened the door quietly.

The place was completely empty. It was the help's day off.

_Actually, almost every day is the help's day off...they come in, like, every two days. _

"Hm. It's really empty here. Where are your parents?"

"My father is working. My mother is most likely at a party..." He was proved wrong by his mother, in a dress and pearls, rushing past him. "Mother?" He called, feeling almost hopeful.

_Maybe she'll acknowledge me this time..._

"Hm? Oh, hello, honey. How are you? I'm sorry, I have to leave now...I'll be back in couple of days, love you!" And then she rushed out the door, leaving Kazukiyo standing there with his mouth opened like an idiot.

The disappointment was almost crushing.

_Mommy doesn't love you...Haruhi's here. You'll deal. Smile for the camera!_

_Wait...what camera?_

_It was a freaking metaphor._

_No it wasn't!_

_Was so!_

_Was not!_

Haruhi interrupted his internal struggle. "Does she often do that?"

"Who? What?"

"You mother, does she often leave you like that?"

"Yes, so?"

He felt a distinct air of dislike around Haruhi. "She's a very busy person." He explained. "So's my father. You can't blame them not having time for me."

"Oh."

"So, let's work!"

_Wow, way of giving away the fact you're upset, Kazu! Give a giant fake smile and clap your hands together in an extremely fake way and basically scream I'M BEING FAKE! _

_Well, I never was a good liar._

_Ever._

_Really._

_Nope._

_Never..._

Haruhi rolled her eyes, and he wondered why, but led her upstairs to his room anyway.

The room was huge. He had tried to make it as comfortable as he could, but he hadn't quite reached the whole place. So, basically, one half was nice and homey, and the other half...was not. He went to the first half, the one that was actually like a fifteen year old boy's room.

They worked on the paper until the night, when he smiled at her and said she should go. "Leave before the creatures of the night get you." He joked.

Okay, _kind of _joked.

She smiled, in her wry, amused way, and packed up her stuff. "Don't worry, I won't let them get me."

_You'd better not._

Then she noticed something on his nightstand.

"Are those...sleeping pills?" She raised an eyebrow.

_She does that a lot. Someday all that eyebrow raising is going to deform her face, I swear._

He bit his lip. "Um...no?"

She gave him a deadpan expression. "No?"

_Way to communicate 'I'm a total insomniac, mainly because I'm the most pathetic person you shall ever meet and still afraid of the dark,' Kazu._

_That was harsh._

He realized he had just told his inner voice it was being harsh. That disturbed him. And confused him. Couldn't he just tell his inner voice not to be harsh?

_There's a thought to mull over. Maybe you'll think some more and actually be smart._

_...That's just mean._

_I'm you, Kazukiyo._

"Souga?"

"Oh, um, yeah...sleeping pills. That they are, Fujioka-chan."

"Why do you have sleeping pills?"

He tried to look affronted. "Why do you care?"

She shrugged.

"No reason. I don't even use them. They're empty. They're just there for decoration, okay?"

_Yes. Work on your lying skills. That was an improvement._

_Oh, shut up._

_I really mean it._

_Okay, this is borderline pathetic._

_No, no, you crossed that line a long while ago. You're at the point of no return._

"Whatever you say."

"Goodbye, Fujioka-chan."

"I'll see you tomorrow."


	11. The Beginning of Hell

**Friendships Fade**

**

* * *

**It was a quiet day at Ouran High School, the birds chirped, and the sun shined brightly...

Yeah, right.

The birds were suspiciously silent, actually, the sun was looking a little gray up there. Those were the things Kazukiyo noticed when he got up from his restless sleep.

_Ugh. Just, ugh. Life has no meaning. Yeah, maybe I should retreat to a little corner like Suou-senpai does when he's depressed but write depressing poetry instead of growing mushrooms..._

He then remembered that he couldn't write poetry.

_Damn._

Kazukiyo managed to shake himself out of his bizarre and doom-bringing thoughts (he really wasn't sure where those had come from), and headed to school, planning out his day silently. First, he would be in school, second, he would work on the essay after school, third...well, he didn't think he really needed a third all that much.

* * *

A while after class ended, the twins bore down on Kazukiyo.

They were wearing matching hats, and their hair was almost completely hidden under them.

"Hello, Souga!" They chimed together, perfectly on time.

_How do they do that? Do they practice or something?_

"Hello Hitachiin-kun," he nodded towards Kaoru, "other Hitachiin-kun," he managed to mumble to Hikaru.

The twins looked amused for a second, and then chimed together (_again!)_ "Come to the Host Club with us!"

Obviously, the poor class rep didn't have a choice as he was dragged away before he could think. Plus, he was outnumbered. Apparently one of the numerous perks of having a twin, which also included having the really nifty power of apparently guessing what the other was thinking. And saying what the other was going to say. In _sync with the other twin_.

Anyway, at the Host Club room, which still smelled strongly of Sakura blossoms, the twins released their grip on his arms.

Haruhi looked at Kazukiyo, raising an eyebrow, and nodded at him. "Hey. What's up?"

"Nothing, really." He said quietly, sitting on the other edge of the couch Haruhi was resting on. "Why do you guys want me here again?"

Kaoru and Hikaru shrugged. "You're new and interesting." They admitted.

The boy looked down, blushing, and shrugged. "Oh."

Kaoru threw himself down next to him on the couch. "So, how was your day?"

"It went well. Yours?" He replied robotically, feeling awkward.

_You are awkward Kazukiyo. It's your thing, y'know?_

Kazukiyo huffed inwardly at the voice in his head. _I'm not talking to you anymore._

_There's something really strange about the fact you were talking to me in the first place. _

_Oh shut up, I'm NOT TALKING TO YOU!_

_'Course._

_Be quiet--wait...aw..._

"Um, Souga?" One of the twins tried.

He snapped out of it. "Ah?"

"What were you doing?"

_Talking to the abusive voice inside my head. No, no, I'm perfectly alright, thanks for the concern._

"Nothing. Just spaced out for a second there. Apologies." He picked at a loose thread on his uniform. _I have to get that fixed._

There was a girlish scream from the door of the music room.

Tamaki.

"Stay away! Don't curse us!"

The Hitachiin twins rolled their eyes. Kaoru got a flashlight. Kazukiyo followed them curiously, and then nearly had a heart attack at the door.

"Ah! Murderers!" The horrific cloacked thing screamed.

_Relax, Kazu, it's just Nekozawa._

His pulse became a little slower, and then he felt a weak wave of righteous fury (or something akin to it that was a bit more gentle) at the twins, due to the fact that they were taking sadistic pleasure in shining a flashlight on Nekozawa's face.

Kazukiyo gently came up behind the twin with the flashlight, quickly wresting it out of the other boy's very loose grip.

Nekozawa let out a sigh of relief, looking over at Kazukiyo. "Oh, hello Souga." He said in what everybody was surprised to hear was a fairly normal voice.

"Hello, Nekozawa-kun. What brings you here?"

"Actually, I was looking for you. It's the Club's," Kazukiyo shuddered at the mention, "off day, so I'm alone in the room. I asked around for you, but nobody could tell me anything." _That's because I'm not exactly, ah, how would be the nice way to say it?...known. Or liked, for that matter. "_So I came here."

"Oh. Well, the club should be starting in while, so I have to leave. I'll be down there. It's in...I'll remember when the time comes." Kazukiyo kept his eyes from the person he was talking to, just so he didn't freak out and finally scream at the guy to stop looking like a villain from a damn slasher flick.

"Very well." The creepy voice was back, and Nekozawa stepped out the door and left.

The whole Host Club stared at Kazukiyo. He smiled shakily and waved meekly. "Hello...I believe we've met..."

Tamaki gasped. "No! He's been _cursed!"_

"Ah...by whom, Senpai?"

"H-h-h-_him!"_

"You mean Nekozawa-kun?"

"YES!"

"No. We've just talked before..."

Kyouya looked at him coolly. "I'm sure that what Tamaki means to say is that you don't seem like the type to befriend each other."

"Ah...it's a long and unlucky story."

The twins looked curious. "_What?"_

"Lets just say that it involved tripping over the one loose tile in Ouran and getting injured and _then_ I can't forget the unpleasant heart ripping scene, oh, and a profoundly evil puppet and a guy who looks like he came from outer space, or maybe just a horror movie, at first I thought his name might be Jaon. But he wasn't wearing a hockey mask, y'know? Then more things happened, then the light of the holy flashlight, finally, after my blood pressure had dropped into the negatives. Yes, all of that..."

The whole club stared at him oddly.

"That wasn't very coherent, Souga." Haruhi said decisively, eyebrows raised.

"Ah, well..."

He was saved from having to explain the incoherent a vaguely out-of-character ramble when girls streamed into the club, and he went out. "Kazu!" He heard somebody cry out to him.

"Kurakano-chan?"

"Kazu, what were you doing in there?"

"Oh, nothing, just..." He trailed off.

"Oh, well, oh! Have to go! I'll see you tomorrow, Kazu! Kisses!"

He returned their age-old goodbye. "You too. Kisses."

_...If only._

* * *

Outside of the Black Magic Club's room, there rested a flashlight. Kazukiyo took it and flicked it on, stepping tentatively into the dark room.

"Hello? Nekozawa-kun?"

"Ah, Souga, here you are."

_Yes, here I am, Bill, and happy to be it._

_...Wow, Kazu, wow. You're such a blast, to yourself, in your head. Maybe if you actually tried to be charming in real life, YOU wouldn't look like a deer in headlights right now._

Kazukiyo just nodded.

Nekozawa still wore his cloak and had his stupid little sacred puppet on his hand, but he had ridded himself of the wig and the hood, and for that Kazukiyo was grateful.

"Well, I have tea."

_Tea?_ He had _tea?_

Well, the darker haired boy did like tea. He couldn't blame Nekozawa for not having much of an imagination when it came to things such as those. He didn't seem to be socially ept either.

_Of course, he is the succesful leader of a club. And you? You're the loser. _

Was it just him, or was his voice more prominent (and cruel) these days?

Kazukiyo drank the tea quickly, jerking the cup to his lips and sending scalding tea splashing all over his face.

_MY EYES! MY EYES, THEY BURN! AND MY FACE! OH, MY BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL FACE!_

_Wait, get this into perspective. Your face isn't anything special anyway, so nobody's gonna miss it. Now just wipe away the tea, yes, like that, and lets not care that you just burned your face off. _

_...Or maybe that's the blush._

"Are you alright?"

_Why do they keep asking that?!_

_...Why do you keep letting it get asked?_

_Curses. Ourtsmarted again._

_I'm YOU, stupid._

Yes, his inner voice was certainly a jerk.

Kazukiyo wondered for a moment, as he answered, "of course" to Nekozawa's question, if he needed professional help.

_...Nah._

"Your face is red."

"Ah, don't worry."

They got off the subject of Kazukiyo's ominously burning face and his empty tea cup (ugh, it was mocking him, wasn't it?), after that. Then they simply chatted about school, life, home, though that was mostly Nekozawa, and he was mostly talking about his baby sister, Kirimi.

Until Kazukiyo noticed something.

Yes, it was the watch on his wrist.

"Um, I have to go, um, work, um, on homework. I'll see you, right?" He couldn't help but feel an inkling of hope.

"Yes, of course."

Kazukiyo smiled brightly to himself as he exited the door, putting the flashlight back in its place. Sure, Nekozawa was intimidating, and he could use some fashion help, but he was certainly inching his way to 'friend' status in Kazukiyo's mind.

_Maybe two (maybe even four, if the twins count) friends in how long...not long! Wow, Kazu, you're on a roll!_

He wasn't sure if his inner voice was being sarcastic or not. He told himself it wasn't because he really was on a roll.

* * *

They were meeting at Haruhi's house for the essay, which was very, very nearly done.

There were large rainclouds hanging in the sky.

Haruhi's father, apparently, wouldn't be coming home until quite late.

Working on the essay passed by remarkably quickly, but even by then the wind was howling and rain was pounding. Kazukiyo decided to do the smart thing and ask Haruhi if he could stay at her house for a while. She said yes, and he called in to his house, saying that he wouldn't be home.

He wasn't entirely surprised nobody had missed him, but he was a tad disappointed.

_Oh, Kazu, you're too sensitive. Can't you tell they don't care about you over there? You'll deal._

But he wasn't able to wallow in self-pity for long--not that eh ever did--because just then, the power came out, and a huge clap of thunder crashed ahead.


	12. When did it Start Getting Dark at Night?

**Friendships Fade**

_There should be about two chapters more after this. :(_

**

* * *

**Because it was cloudy, and night (how did it become night? How did he miss it?) outside anyway, the house was plunged into near-total darkness.

Even in the dark school during the Test of Courage (something which he obviously had very little of), Kazukiyo had been able to keep his fear (something which he sadly very obviously had a whole lot of) from consuming him. There had been people there, he had talked to one of these people. Plus, the light from the outside made the entire school outlined and easyish to see.

But by then the stars and the moon were completely covered with clouds.

Kazukiyo's breaths hitched.

_Why? Why now? Why here? Why me?!_

(What really bothered him, later, when his vision wasn't clouded by panic, was that it hadn't happened when he was in his house, because he hadn't bothered to check the time. At home, he could just curl up in a corner and cry and whimper pathetically as much as he wanted. He would end up doing it where he ended up anyway, but, still...it sucked, a lot.)

_...Oh my god did that thing there just move?_

He felt his breathing almost grow out of control and his heart pounded noisily in his head. Reminding him he was still alive... Though maybe not for long.

That thing in the corner might have seemed like a sweater to everybody else, but Kazukiyo seriously thought it could eat him.

All thoughts of homicidal sweaters aside, he thought he was doing pretty well.

All alone.

In the dark.

...Okay, maybe not.

But...where was Haruhi? His mind cleared enough to focus on that question for all of two seconds, maybe less. He had no idea where his companion had gone. He breathed heavily as he felt his bangs plaster to his face with icy sweat and...tears? He hadn't noticed he'd been crying.

Damn. Another thing that made him look like a total wimp--his ability to cry in any situation. Any and all. Even though he usually hid his over-active tear ducts well.

He stumbled around blindly through the small flat. Lighting flashed across the sky, illuminating the darkened place for a split second. It just scared him more.

Thunder crashed relentlessly in the sky, making him even more nervous. He wasn't exactly thunder's biggest fan.

Finally, he heard something as he tripped around aimlessly, breath seemingly permanently caught in his throat when he wasn't breathing to quickly or too heavily. The sounds startled him, and for a few moments he was sure the sweater had finally come to get him, but no. Then he noticed they were the sounds somebody made when trying to get calm after a big scare, and trying not to cry, and mainly failing. He, in fact, usually made those sounds before he lost it.

Thunder crashed yet again and the voice squeaked. Haruhi--it had to be Haruhi. He ventured into her room, shaking all over and biting his lip so he wouldn't out-right sob and just embarrass himself more.

_Right. Way to be valiant. Face it, Kazukiyo, bravery is not your forte._

The room seemed empty until he tracked down the quiet sounds. He tried to say Haruhi's name, but found he couldn't quite make out the word.

Silently (which was a feat in itself), he ghosted over to where the girl was huddled up, her outline faint but noticeable. She looked up at him, and his knees gave out as he slid down next to her.

Lightning flashed through the sky again, illuminating Haruhi's face as she shed silent tears, and Kazukiyo's pasty white also tear-streaked one.

_What a sight you two must be. Wimps._

_Hey, don't call her a wimp, that's not very nice._

_You didn't say anything about yourself._

Kazukiyo placed a trembling hand on Haruhi's shoulder. Thunder crashed again, and he flinched and she moaned, burying her face in her hands as if in pain. His lower lip split and finally began to bleed.

_And now you're getting your uniform all bloody._

_Um, more important things to think about. Like not letting them get me.  
_

_Not letting what get you?_

_How should I know?!_

He whimpered somewhat pathetically, and Haruhi pressed her smaller form against his, reassuringly. He continued biting his lip, trying as hard as he could not to give into hysteria.

_Wow. Way to be impressive, Kazu. Freaking out. Because it's dark. I mean, it's not like it hasn't happened before, but every time, it's marvelous just how much more pathetic you become._

Kazukiyo fisted a hand firmly in his hair as thunder crashed yet again outside and Haruhi buried her face in her hands again. He squeezed her shoulder.

_Be strong. Be strong. Be strong. Bestrongbestrongbestrongbestrong..._

Screw it, he was hyperventilating.

* * *

When the lights came back on and the thunder died down, finally, after a heartwrenching ten or twenty or fifteen minutes, both Kazukiyo and Haruhi were exhausted.

Finally, after taking a few minutes to calm down, Haruhi became kind of herself again. "You okay?"

He was too overcome with the feeling of nausea to answer her, and thus instead stumbled towards the conveniently placed bathroom, bowed his head over the porcelain god, and retched for about a minute.

* * *

Finally, he was ready to go home.

Haruhi looked a little skeptical. "You sure you'll be okay?"

"Of course I will, Haruhi-san, there's nothing scary out there at all."

_Be a man. _

He bowed slightly to her, and walked out the door.

* * *

_Dark...it's really dark...really dark...the stars are kind of pretty which isn't the point the point is that it's ridiculously dark..._

_When did it start getting dark at night?

* * *

_He's exhausted at this point and falls asleep right away.

In the morning, there's a knock on the door of his house.

"Hello!" Suou Tamaki's voice reverberates throughout the house.

Kazukiyo's eyes fly open.

_What the hell is going on?_


End file.
